Ray Rice pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault charges during his arraignment Thursday morning in New Jersey.
The Ravens running back announced during his court appearance that he will apply for pretrial intervention. Pretrial intervention is a diversion program that allows defendants to avoid prosecution and potential jail time.
In a plea offer from prosecutors that has yet to be finalized, Rice was offered probation with no jail time if he underwent anger management counseling, according to WJZ.
The charges against Rice stem from an incident that occurred in the Revel Casino on Feb. 15, when Rice was involved in an altercation with his then fiancée Janay Palmer. Rice and Palmer were both initially arrested on charges of simple assault, but prosecutors increased Rice's charge to aggravated assault and dismissed the charges on Palmer.
Rice and Palmer were married March 31, and she attended the arraignment with him Thursday morning. The couple walked into the courthouse holding hands, and Rice told reporters that he is a "happy father and happy husband," according to a report from the Associated Press.
Rice also told WJZ that "married life is good," and he told Palmer not to answer any questions from reporters.
The couple has been attending counseling since the incident earlier this year.
Rice has not been given any punishment from the NFL or the Ravens, and the organization has stood behind him since the incident. The plan is for Rice to play for the Ravens in 2014, although he could face a suspension from the league under the player conduct policy.
"We'll deal with Ray [Rice] when that time comes," General Manager Ozzie Newsome said Wednesday.
